With the Sierra Nevada and lake as a backdrop, Tahoe South's 'Lights on the Lake' offers a spectacular 25-minute Fourth of July fireworks display starting at 9:45 p.m.

Image 1 of 5 - Peak pyrotechnics

With the Sierra Nevada and lake as a backdrop, Tahoe South's 'Lights on the Lake' offers a spectacular 25-minute Fourth of July fireworks display starting at 9:45 p.m.

With the Sierra Nevada and lake as a backdrop, Tahoe South's 'Lights...on the Lake' offers a spectacular 25-minute Fourth of July fireworks...display starting at 9:45 p.m.

Image 2 of 5|Peak pyrotechnics

Steve Dunleavy

Said to the largest fireworks display in the west, the South Shore Lake Tahoe show is choreographed by Pyro-Spectaculars to hit rock/pop songs along with traditional favorites, including Dave Matthews Band, FUN, Toby Keith, Steve Miller, Elton John, Adele, Ray Charles and Whitney Houston.

Image 2 of 5 - Peak pyrotechnics

Said to the largest fireworks display in the west, the South Shore Lake Tahoe show is choreographed by Pyro-Spectaculars to hit rock/pop songs along with traditional favorites, including Dave Matthews Band, FUN, Toby Keith, Steve Miller, Elton John, Adele, Ray Charles and Whitney Houston.

Said to the largest fireworks display in the west, the South Shore...Lake Tahoe show is choreographed by Pyro-Spectaculars to hit rock/pop...songs along with traditional favorites, including Dave Matthews Band,...FUN, Toby Keith, Steve Miller, Elton John, Adele, Ray Charles and...Whitney Houston.

San Francisco and the Bay Area provide ample reasons to celebrate the Fourth of July, but what if you want a getaway for the holiday? Head for the hills and/or mountains: Some of the best fireworks displays in the West are to the east of us.

The area now calling itself Tahoe South, at least in PR, boasts the largest Independence Day pyrotechnics in the West, an extravagant 25-minute show synchronized to popular music that starts at 9:45 p.m. July 4 (for last year’s show, see the video below.) Big Bear Lake and Virginia City, Nev., also offer a full day of family-friendly activities before their own spectacular fireworks; follow the links for details and check out their pyrotechnics in the photo gallery above.

Before and after the holiday, Tahoe’s South Shore provides many of other entertainment options:

“Wild Things,” a stage show about Tahoe’s native animals at Taylor Creek’s Lake of the Sky Amphitheater, July 5

The Valhalla Art, Music and Theatre Festival presents the comic “Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged” featuring three actors in all 37 of the Bard’s plays, in 97 minutes; July 5-7 and 11-13 in Tallac Historic Site’s Boathouse Theatre. The theater also hosts Summer Jazz in the Park and Music on the Lawn July 7 (at noon), and the zydeco-influenced Z.O.O.M, July 8.